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Accidents · NTSB DCA17LA183 · Final report

Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10 accident near Mckellar, Tennessee, August 22, 2017

On August 22, 2017 at about 10:21 pm local time, a 2005 Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10, registered N745SK, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Mckellar, Tennessee. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 63 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

An encounter with convective turbulence while maneuvering to avoid conflicting traffic.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
August 22, 2017 · about 10:21 pm local time
Place
Mckellar, Tennessee · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 63 others were unhurt.
Weather
instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
Aircraft
Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10 700C, built 2005
Registration
N745SK · registry record · serial 10201
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

While in cruise flight around 36,000 ft, the flight crew of the scheduled domestic passenger flight was instructed by air traffic control to turn for traffic separation. The crew reported that, after completing the turn, the airplane entered a cloud and encountered severe turbulence. The seat belt sign was not activated at the time of the encounter, and of the 74 passengers and crew members aboard, one passenger received serious injuries and two flight attendants and eight passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. According to flight data recorder information, during the encounter, vertical acceleration ranged from -0.8g to 1.89g, the airplane lost about 200 ft altitude in 2 seconds, and the airspeed varied by about 15 knots. The airplane entered an 11.6° nose-down pitch attitude and rolled 26 degrees to the left. The crew reported that the flight until the encounter had been smooth. They reported that they could see the cloud build-up as they were approaching it from about 80 to 100 miles away, but that their radar did not indicate that they were going to encounter convective weather. The company's flight operations manual stated that, before entering an area of thunderstorms, pilots were required to ensure that all personnel were seated and safety belts were fastened.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Collision avoidance alert during enroute (cruise)
  2. Abrupt maneuver during enroute (cruise)
  3. Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel

Co-pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 2,541 hours in all; 1,033 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days
  • Last flight review: March 7, 2017
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: rgt
  • Injury: no injuries

Pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 8,121 hours in all; 4,642 in this make and model; 265 in the last 90 days
  • Medical certificate: Class 1
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 36,393 hours
  • Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 12, 2017
  • Maximum gross weight: 75,000 lb
  • Seats: 78
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine 1: Ge CF34 SERIES (turbofan); 36,406 hours total
  • Engine 2: Ge CF34 SERIES (turbofan); 28,511 hours total
  • Operator: Skywest Airlines

The flight

  • Departed from: KATL Atlanta GA at 9:02 pm
  • Destination: KORD Chicago IL
  • Flight plan: IFR
  • A second pilot was aboard

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Sky: not recorded; not recorded
  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
  • Altimeter: 29.92 inHg

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Cabi11
Flight crew2
Passengers1861

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.

Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.